Improvement in metal-squeezers



www@

LE WIS W. LEWIS, OF SHARPSB URG, PENNS YLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 85,457,0lated December 29, 1868.

nuPRovEMENT IN METAL-sQn-sznns.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent ami maling part d the m To all 'whom 'it ma/y concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS W. Lnwrs, of Sharpsburg, in the county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Squeezers and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l shows, in perspective, the lower workingparts of a squeezer, with my improvement attached;

'igure 2 illustrates my improvement by a side View; an

Figure 3, by a plan View, a modification thereof.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

In squeezers, as ordinarily constructed, the guard or guard-bar, by which the bloom is stopped and thrown out of the squeezer, is made fixed and stationary, and so set that ,its lower edge shall stand from three-fourtl'ls of an inch to two inches above the upper face of the bottom upset or upsetting-plate.

As the puddle-ball passes around the squeezer, and is reduced to a bloom, pieces of iron are detached, some small, and some large. The larger pieces are, ofcourse, thrown off bythe guard, while the small pieces often get caught between the guard and bottom upset,\vhere,

becoming chilled, they are tightly wedged in, and, as the squeezer continues to operate, they soon score or cut deep cuts or grooves in the face ofthe bottom upset. These ruts or grooves, in a short time, become so numerous that the bottom upset, or, as it is sometimes called, the bottom upsetting-plate, is spoiled. Sometimes the small lumps of iron pass under the guard', and are carried around till they get' under the outside rim of the squeezer, where they work still further injury to the, machinery, or clog it, so that it is stopped altogether; or, sometimes, they get wedged in under the guard till they bend or break it.

In either of the two latter cases, all work must be suspended till the squeezer can be put in order; and, as in all large and well-regulated iron-mills, the puddling goes on continuously, and puddle-balls are being constantly prepared for the squeezer, the stopping oi' the squeezer necessitates the stopping of the puddlingfurnaces, with the loss of time of the puddlers who may be working them, and sometimes a loss of or serious injury to the material in process of preparation.

When the'bottom upsetting-plate is spoiled, considerable time, labor, and expense are involved in replacing it.

My invention is designed to obviate the difficulties thus caused, and the nature of it consists in hinging the guard, or bringing a swinging bar to the guard, so

rthat the guard, or its bar, as the case may be, yshall rest, by its own weight, on the bottom upset, and throw oli' small pieces of iron, as well as large ones,

The outer end of this guard is fastened, by being boited to the fore plate f, or, more commonly, by being inserted between two long projecting lugs or shoulders ee, the bar and lugs being united somewhat like a dovetail joint. Between these it is firmly bolted.

` To this guard, on the side against which the bloom strikes, on coming out, I hinge a bar, g, so that its lower edge shall rest on the vface of the bottom upset o' and. extend across it.

Any-convenient mode of hanging may be adopted, but I prefer to use a bolt. t', passing through it and through the guard d.

By making aslot, s, in either the bar g, or, if so preferred, in the guard for the bolt 0', to pass through, I provide for the rise and fall of the whole bar g, orjof either end ofit, as maybe required; or, if so desired, the bar and guard may be loosely bolted to each other at both ends, orA at the middle, vertical slots being made in oneA or the other, for the bolts to play in, as'

the bar rises and falls; or the bar q may be setin dovetail slides on the guard (l, and slide up and down, instead of swinging, as above described.

The bar g, then resting on the face of the bottom upset c, leaves no aperture of xed breadth, into which small pieces of iron can become wedged. All pieces are thrown oli, unless it be ne pieces of scale, or very small pieces of iron, with sharp, angular points, which may, in some cases, get caught under the bar g. In such cases, the bar g rises and lets them pass under, and all such pieces are too small to do injury by being caught between the bottom upset c and the outer rim.

As a modification of this improvement, I also hinge the guard d, at or near its outer end, by a bolt, i', passing loosely through it, and through the lugs "e e. Its lower edge then, instead of standing in a xed position, a little above the bottom upset, will rest by its own weight thereon. Its operation will be substantially the same as that already described.

My invention is chiefly valuable in saving the loss of or injury to the bottom upset, which is an expensive part of the machinery, and in the saving of time and expense, caused by delay in an iron-mill by a stoppage l of puddling-operations till the 'squeezner is repaired.-

It is simple in its construction, easily applied and its lower edge on the upper face of the bottom upset, used, and is found to be effective in accomplishing the Sabstantially as and for the-purposes hereinbefore Setdesired object. forth.

By its use two or three bottom upsetting-plates may In testimony whereof, I, the said LEWIS W. LEWIS, be Saved each year for every Squeezei. 4 have hereunto set my hand.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to Secure 'LEWIS W. LEWIS, by Letters Taten@ is Y Witnesses Hngng the guard, or hinging a bar to the guard., W. A. LEWIS, of a sqneezer, in the manne described,- Sethat the ELL TORRANCE.

bar or its guard, aS the oase may be, shall rest with 

